Our Plan 2009-2010: World History
This past year, we all really enjoyed studying Ancient History using RC History’s Connecting With History Volume 1: Creation to 63 B.C. We didn’t get to near as many hands-on projects this year as I would have liked, but we have all really enjoyed reading and discussing the recommended books! I just love that, with this program, we all work on the same time period together each year, based on a four year rotation and the Teacher’s Guide provides everything you need for Kindergarten through High School!!! (Each student has individual assignments based on their current grade level.)
We still have four more units to finish during the summer, but I went ahead and ordered Connecting With History Volume 2: The Arrival of the King and His Kingdom, which we will begin in the fall. Volume 2 consists of a total of 7 units, so I am hoping we can get through units 1-4 before the baby arrives in December, and then we will finish the remaining 3 next year.
“An in-depth study of the New Testament and Early Church history, this volume emphasizes the life and death of Christ as the central point of history and goes on to show the birth and spread of the Church as the Body of Christ, and its perseverance and growth through persecutions. The Church moves forward into the medieval period of history, spreading to new nations and replacing the Roman Empire with the Holy Roman Empire.”Here is the list of books we will be using this year which are for the Beginner Level, Grades K-3:
Teacher’s Resources:- Volume Two: The Arrival of the King and His Kingdom (63 B.C. – 1066 A.D.)
- Timeline Cards (63 B.C. – 1066 A.D.) – from RC History
- Report Pages and Blank Timelines – from RC History
- Blackline Maps of World History
Reading List:
- Spend the Day in Ancient Rome: Projects and Activities that Bring the Past to Life
- How to Be a Roman Soldier
- Mary My Mother
- Good Saint Joseph
- Jesus With Us: The Gift of the Eucharist
- The Miracles of Jesus
- The Parables of Jesus
- Pompeii…Buried Alive!
- St. Meinrad
- St. Paul Coloring Book
- Saint Peter the Apostle
- Apostles of Jesus
- Vikings: Dress, Eat, Write, and Play Just Like the Vikings (Hands-on History)
- We’re Riding on a Caravan
- Who Were the Vikings
Ancient Rome (Modern Rhymes About Ancient Times)
Supplemental:
- Christopher: The Holy Giant
- Good King Wenceslas
- Jesus
- Leif the Lucky
- Mary: The Mother of Jesus
- Just Like Mary
- Ancient Rome (Modern Rhymes About Ancient Times)
- Saint Patrick
- Saint Valentine
- Saint George and the Dragon
- The Holy Twins
- The Story of King Arthur
- The Sword in the Tree
Audio CD’s/Cassettes and DVD’s:
A few of the core texts above are also used in the Grammar Level, Grades 4-6. Even tough Captain will be in 3rd grade, since we have already read many of the books on the K-3 list, I went ahead and ordered the books for the Grammar Level as well. We probably won’t use all of them this year, but they will be great to have in the future!
Reading List:
- Augustus Caesar’s World
- People of the Bible: Life and Customs
- City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction
- The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History
- St. Philomena (Coloring Book)
- Gladiator
- I Believe: The Nicene Creed
- Color Your Own Book of Kells (Coloring Books)
- Life in Celtic Times
- Step Into: the Viking World
Supplemental:
- Cleopatra
- Adventures of Saint Paul
- City of the Golden House
- Saint Benedict: The Story of the Father of the Western Monks
- The Man Who Never Died: The Life and Adventures of St. Peter, the First Pope
- Galen and the Gateway to Medicine
- The White Isle
- Brendan the Navigator
- Beorn the Proud
- Son of Charlemagne
- Beowulf
- D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths
- King Arthur: Tales from the Round Table
- The Blackbird’s Nest: Saint Kevin of Ireland
- Ben Hur (Radio Theatre)
It should be another fun year!
Wordless Wednesday
Young Hunters Day
Saturday morning all 8 of the kids were up bright and early, ready to go to the annual Young Hunters Day in our county!
Young Hunters Day is a free fun filled day (from 9:00 to 1:00), sponsored the local Hunters Association, for children ages 2-16. The children could participate in archery and shotgun shooting, fishing, pelt identification, and tomahawk throwing, with safety emphasized of course. Every child present could win one of the many raffle prizes and a yummy BBQ lunch was provided as well!
Here are a few pictures from the day:
We waited too long, and it got too hot, to have a short ride in the Hot Air Balloon, plus the only person that was willing to go up with me was Branch and I wasn’t sure her mom would approve… We did get to watch them take it down though! And isn’t it the perfect colors for Pentecost weekend!! 😉
~ Pelt Identification ~
~ The Raffle ~
I found it pretty funny that our little Twinkle Toes won one of the Grand Prizes, a Crosman Air Rifle 
~ The Group Photo ~
8 Children ages 8 and Under…
I’m pretty sure my body tricked me into thinking I had the flu Sunday night beginning at 12:00am so that I could spend the next 36 hours in bed or the bathroom?? Bleh!! Since none of my children have gotten sick yet, I am still not sure it was actually the flu?! Anyhow, I am well rested now, and feeling much better!!
Enough about me… Back to this weekend!! Friday afternoon, after we attended Mass and Benediction, followed by lunch with Father, we had the privileged of watching the three little Treehouse Kids while their parents went off to this beautiful destination to celebrate their 10th anniversary! We all had SO MUCH FUN!!
Friday night we headed to the boys Baseball game. We had front row seats to watch Captain and Rascal’s game!
The boys played well, though it was a close game and the Ranger’s beat us in the last inning: 19 to 17.
Since it was SO hot outside, I told the girls we would have popsicles as soon as we got back home! (Plus I had promised one particular little girl a pink popsicle to make her feel a bit better about being left at our house! 😉 I’m so awful!!)
The game didn’t end till after 8, so by the time everyone had eaten their popcicles, gotten in their pj’s, brushed their teeth, said prayers, and headed to bed it was LATE! I think it was nearly 11 before the girls stopped giggling and fell asleep! This was the first sleepover we have ever had with friends, and my children LOVED it!
Well, I have to get back to my disastrous house… One day in bed, with five little ones running around, and it looks like it was hit by a tornado! I’ll be back soon to share a few pictures from Saturday. See you then!
Catholic New Media Awards
Voting has begun for the 2009 Catholic New Media Awards!!
I was so surprised and excited to see that Shower of Roses was nominated for the following categories:
- People’s Choice Blog
- Best Blog by a Woman
- Best Written Blog
- Most Spiritual Blog
- Most Informative Blog
- Most Entertaining Blog
And Catholic Cuisine was also nominated for:
- Best Group Blog
Thank you to those of you who nominated both Shower of Roses and Catholic Cuisine! What an honor to be included amongst the amazing list of nominees including some of my personal favorites: In the Heart of My Home, What Does the Prayer Really Say, Audio Sancto, Faith and Family Live!, Under Her Starry Mantle, O Night Divine, Tales from the Bonny Blue House, American Papist: Not Your Average Catholic, Faith Filled Days, and Building Cathedrals!
Please consider registering and voting for us!
Celebrating Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church!
“Pentecost Sunday is the second greatest Feast of the liturgical year — the first being Easter — and takes place 50 days (7 weeks) after Easter (the earliest possible date for this Feast is 10 May). This day celebrates the coming of the Holy Ghost upon the disciples and Our Lady and, in a sense, the reversal of the story of the Tower of Babel in that the the Apostles were given the gift of tongues by which they could preach and be understood by anyone in any language — a demonstration of the Church’s true catholicity.” Source
~ White Donuts after Mass on “Whitsunday,” another name for Pentecost ~
~ Completed our Garden of the Good Shepherd Calendar~
We made them from strawberries this year since one of the girls seems to be allergic to red food coloring. However, I should have let them dry out a little since the juices ran down the sides of the cake! Oops!
After dinner (which was nothing special, unless you are a pregnant momma craving Albacore Tuna Melts!) the children colored some pictures of the Apostles on Pentecost. The day ended with an amazing thunderstorm (preceded by some more “mighty winds!”) while we prayed the rosary on this last day of May, the month of Our Lady!
Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, didst promise to send the Holy Ghost to finish Thy work in the souls of Thy Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me, that He may perfect in my soul the work of Thy grace and Thy love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Thy divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining Heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with Thee, and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God, and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Thy true disciples and animate me in all things with Thy Spirit. Amen.
I hope you all had a very blessed Pentecost Sunday!
Happy Anniversary!
Today is my brother-in-law’s first anniversary as a priest! The following video was made by a friend of ours using pictures from Father’s ordination. I thought I would share it with you all today. Isn’t it beautiful!?!
Bubble Fun!
This morning I loaded up the stroller and we drove down to our local track so I could walk. As our “special activity” for today, we brought along a fun bubble set that Chiquita was given for her birthday.
While my kiddos were having fun (and after I snapped a few pictures, of course), Snuggles and I were able to make it around the track 8 times!! (That sounds better than I only walked 2 miles, right?!) It felt so nice to be outside walking once again. Now, if I could just turn it into a daily habit…
*I also noticed that it looks like our little Chiquita and Karoline have yet another dress in common! You’d never know that they live on opposite sides of the country… I’m thinking that Karoline’s momma has super cute taste in dresses, don’t you?! ☺
Small Successes: May 28, 2009
- I cleaned my girls bedroom and packed up all the remaining size 3 clothing and shoes that Chiquita has recently outgrown. It is hard to believe that she is already four, and will be nearly FIVE when this little one arrives! I wonder if our new one is a girl? It would sure be fun to pull out all our little girl stuff once again… Either way I will be thrilled with a healthy baby.
- I finally ordered a tuxedo for Rascal. Sheesh!! What an ORDEAL!! The bridal store that had been chosen, was as far from helpful as they could possibly be, so in the end, I actually just ordered a new tux on eBay. I’ve had good experiences with eBay in the past, and the seller reviews were great, not to mention it was less than half of the bridal store’s price for a tux (which would need to be altered since it was too big and they refused to order me the right size!). I am so glad it is on the way, but I will feel a bit better when it arrives and FITS! =)
- I french braided Chiquita’s hair for the first time this morning. She has been asking me to for awhile, but I thought her hair was too fine… Apparently it is not! Chiquita was very excited to finally have braids like her big sister!
Ideas for Celebrating Pentecost Sunday
* I just updated and revised my post from last year, adding a few new ideas and fixing some of the links… Here is the updated version!
The feast of Pentecost, also known as Whitsunday, ranks among the great feasts of Christianity. “It commemorates not only the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Disciples, but also the fruits and effects of that event: the completion of the work of redemption, the fullness of grace for the Church and its children, and the gift of faith for all nations.”
Here is a list of ideas that could be done for this day!
(Disclaimer: We will not get to all of these (more like just a few!), but I thought I would share the ideas with you just the same!)
Prayer:
- Pentecost Sunday Mass.
- Sing Veni Creator Spiritus (aka: Come Holy Ghost).
- Say some of these Prayers for Pentecost.
Come Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Ghost, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Ghost we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Food/Snacks:
- You can find a list of ideas I posted last year over at Catholic Cuisine.
- Since Pentecost is also known as “Whitsunday,” and one tradition is to serve white foods, we will be having powdered sugar doughnuts and white hot chocolate with breakfast and an afternoon snack of milk and Macaroons.
- Amy’s family always enjoys Holy Ghost Sopas.
- Set the table with a red tablecloth and white plates.
- Another dinner suggestion is to serve Cornish Game Hens (representing the Dove), Pasta Alfredo (white), and Cauliflower (white).
- Here is a link to all the posts at Catholic Cuisine labeled Pentecost.
- Cornish game hens sound like too much work, so I think I am going to go with the “Red-Hot Theme” for dinner this year. Maybe some grilled shrimp (it’s red!) and veggies? That way hubby can cook! 😉
- I’ve really been craving fruit all week, so I definitely plan on making a Twelve-Fruit Salad this year!
- For dessert, A Cake for Pentecost, complete with the mighty wind to blow out the candles. This was a hit last year, and I plan on making it again!
Reading:
- Read Song of Songs 2:8-17 for the Garden of the Good Shepherd
theme of the day: The Dove.
- Read about The Descent of the Holy Spirit pages 226-227 in the New Catholic Picture Bible
.
- Read The Very First Christians
.
- Read I Believe: The Nicene Creed
.
- Read
The Twelve Apostles
by Marianna Mayer.
- Read Apostles of Jesus
by Father Lovasik.
Copy work:
My Lord and My God!
–traditional Eucharistic exclamation.
Craft:
- Make a centerpiece. Cut out seven flame shapes from either felt or construction paper and label them with the names of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost.
- Make the Pentecost kite found in The Big Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions
- Make Dawn’s Pentecost Windsock!
- Here is a cute Holy Spirit Mobile. (pdf)
- This Pentecost Spinner looks like fun!
Activities:
- Do a Pentecost Cross Word Puzzle, Decoder, Word Jumble, Word Search, or a Twelve Disciples Word Search.
- Color this Pentecost Coloring Page, or any of these.
- Don’t forget the beautiful Pentecost coloring page to be found in Fenestrae Fidei: A Coloring Companion for Catholic Mosaic!
- Even more great resources for Pentecost can be found here!
- Go fly a kite! Wind is one of the symbols of Pentecost, so what better way to experience the wind than to fly a kite? If a kite is too much work, Pinwheels would be fun too!
- Play “Who Has the Fire?”
Who Has The Fire?Introduce game: What flickered around the disciple’s heads, but didn’t burn them? Fiery flames.
Need: Orange construction paper balled up to be the fire.
Directions: The children sit in a circle close together. The child who is “It” stands away from the circle and hides their eyes while the fire is passed around. When “It” says “STOP!”, the child holding the fire hides it (under their leg, up their sleeve, etc.). The child who is “It” guesses who has the fire. The child who had the fire is now “It”.
What are your plans for Pentecost? I would love to hear any ideas that you all have as well!
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